Chapter Twenty: Laid at the Grave...
Tortoise came to, his head clouded and feeling like it had been stuffed with cotton. His lungs felt little better, as he wheezed and gasped in every bit of he could muster.
A short distance away, Cat was secured and stripped of her mask and weapons, same as him. Dog and Owl were absent, as was Mouse. Looking around, it was dark, but not pitch black. Lamps gave off weak light, just enough to illuminate the chamber and the dim haze of smoke.
Focusing on bringing his breathing back in order, Tortoise idly noted how the smoke moved in the absence of any notable air currents, shifting and taking shapes as they circled around the cave and against the ceiling.
"They are waking, Gotta," a voice from above said.
"I can hear the coughing," another snapped back.
Lumps of smoke pulled away from the ceiling, coalescing into humanoid figures, prowling around the captured ANBU.
"Who are you?" the second voice demanded, "How do you know of this place?" When Tortoise failed to respond, something like a hand cracked against his cheek.
"He won't talk without pressure, Gotta."
"I know that, Ayato," Gotta snapped. "Shut up and keep back."
Smoke filled Tortoise's lungs again, setting his nerves alight once more. His body seized and twisted, thrashing and struggling.
"Stop her!" another voice called out.
"Yukimi!" Gotta snapped. "Get back!"
A girl threw herself between Tortoise and his interrogator. Little as barrier she could provide, he was grateful to breathe freely again.
The two smoke figures transformed, or perhaps converted from smoke into a pair of men.
Both had dark brown hair. Simple clothes and slim forms implied isolation, but their posture indicated training, if not experience. One had a mustache and his hair cut fairly short, while the other wore his hair longer, pushed back by a band of cloth.
The mustached man pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, "Yukimi, he's a prisoner."
"Tou-san, why are you treating him like this?" the girl – Yukimi pleaded. "Don't you recognize him!?"
"Tenzō has been gone a long time, Yukimi. This isn't him."
"But…"
"He hasn't grown an inch since you last saw him, has he? I'm sorry, Yukimi, but I don't think you will be seeing Tenzō again. And if you did, I don't think you would recognize him."
Headband sneered, stalking off while casting a dirty look back at him. A view which was swiftly blocked when a girl with freckles hovered over the ANBU, gently shaking his shoulder.
"Tenzō? Tenzō! Please, answer me!"
Tortoise feigned being dazed, but focused on the vibrations through the woods as the two men, Gotta and Ayato, had stepped away and began speaking in low voices.
"You're getting soft, Gotta."
"Killing them gains us nothing and would cost us everything. There's at least two more of them we weren't able to capture, and they know where we are now. Better to keep them as potential hostages than to spark a response we can't avoid. We'll hold them until we know what Orochimaru-sama wishes to do with them. Until then, keep a close watch."
That was more than Tortoise had hoped to gain.
First off, these were associated were Orochimaru, a confirmation that they had been lacking before. Second of all, it sounded as if he were planning to visit, and soon. Thirdly, Dog, Owl, and possible Mouse were still free to act as required.
So all he had to do was survive until then, and get this information to the rest of his team so they could plan.
A canteen was pressed to his lips, and Tortoise gingerly took sips between coughs. It didn't taste like anything was added to it, save for some purification tablets and possible a mineral substance. Once he could get through sips without hacking, Yukimi helped Tortoise to sitting.
"Tenzō?" she asked again, softly.
"Who is Tenzō?" Tortoise groaned. "And who are these people?"
The girl pouted a little. "Come on. Don't you recognize me? It's Yukimi. Your sister!"
"I'm sorry. My memories are bit fuzzy since I was taken." He wasn't exactly lying, but he also felt a bit bad, preying on the girl's feelings. A cough from the side steeled his resolve. He didn't know who his birth family was, or where they might be. But he was getting a feeling this was not them.
His eyes momentarily shifted to Cat, who was still laying motionless and out of reach.
"What's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know. But until Orochimaru-sama arrives…" Quickly looking around, Yukimi picked him up and led him out of the cave. A few more people could be seen walking around, but more maintained their smoke forms, leaving it ambiguous as to whether or not they were being watched as they passed.
Taking the opportunity presented, Tortoise discretely noted his surroundings, the layout of the hideout, and enemy strength and composition. To his surprise, he saw only older teenagers and young adults. No children ran through the halls, and no elderly resident was counted among their number as far as he could see.
Yukimi led him into a place that let sunlight filter through, though Tortoise couldn't determine how or by what method it was achieved when he couldn't feel so much as a breeze wafting through the large cave. There was thick layer of dirt beneath his feet as they walked, and planted across the breadth and span of this field were trees. With how shallow the soil was, even the oldest of the trees was barely larger than the youngest saplings.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"This is our graveyard," Yukimi Instead of using stone for headstones, we plant trees."
"With so little sunlight?"
"Water filters in from above, and nutrients are passed through the tree into the soil here." She smiled at Tortoise sadly. "They say the soul finds refuge in the tree and protects us."
She continued talking as they walked.
"Or ability to transform our flesh is incomplete. We don't have total control over the smoke. Sometimes, we just turn into smoke without notice. Sometimes, the smoke would just dissipate without turning back into flesh." She looked around the graveyard, running a hand along a tree. "Members of our clan don't live long lives. So many have died over the years. It used to be worse. But then Orochimaru-sama gave us these symbols that stabilized our abilities."
She pulled her hair up, exposing the back of her neck, and Tortoise's eyes widened when he was the symbol. It was a Curse Mark. Not quite like Anko's. Maybe a prototype or a branching path of research, but it gave off a similar, putrid feeling just by looking at it. Schooling his features before she turned around, he continued to listen.
"But the Cursed Seal was imperfect, too. He said much more research was necessary. That's why you were sent to Orochimaru-sama as a research subject. The younger you are, the greater our power manifests itself. That's why he wanted a young test subject."
Tortoise clenched his teeth, remembering those days as a lab specimen. Instead of pushing the memory away, he wracked his brain for any memory of a boy who resembled this girl, but came up with nothing.
Tortoise frowned. "But that leaves you as the only child, then. Right?"
"It wasn't like you and the others were going to die. Orochimaru-sama said so. Even if I were to be called up, I would be able to see everyone. Including you." She smiled at him and then suddenly stopped in her tracks. "What's this? Who planted these trees?!"
Tortoise looked down, and sure enough, saw the signs of freshly planted trees. Trees that Yukimi began tearing up.
"We don't need this one," she sobbed, yanking the first sapling from the ground, turning to grab the next. "Or this one. They're not dead! I won't allow this!"
Whatever strength her outrage had given her burned out quickly, and she collapsed before she could pull any more out from the ground. Taking some pity on her, Tortoise gently patted her on the shoulder like Obito would and then went to replanting trees.
"Tenzō? Why?"
"Not all of us made it through the trials, Yukimi. I barely remember some of their faces some days. But if this is the only way to keep their memory, then please. Let me do this. At least until you know for certain."
Yukimi clambered up to her feet again, leaning against the side of the cave as Tortoise worked. Once he had finished, she got his attention, beckoning him to follow.
"What is this place?" he asked as the path continued to wind up and around.
"The inside of the tree is like a maze, full of hollows like this." She stopped in front of a crawl space barely large enough for the two of them to squeeze into. "It gets a little tight from here, but we can still pass through."
[NRE]
"Any sign of Tortoise or Cat?" Dog asked.
Wind gently listed against the leaves as Owl's eyes swept over the landscape they had been patrolling. "No."
"It's been almost a day," said Mouse. "We should send word back. Withdraw and get reinforcements."
Dog kept himself from emoting, but the tension in his body language was transparent for his teammates. Crouching down, he scrutinized the enemy position.
"We've checked everything immediately surroundings this tree," he noted. "There are few, if any ways in and out that don't leave you entirely exposed. Whether they're dead or alive, we're going in."
"But they can turn to smoke," Owl countered. "You saw that, didn't you?"
"I did. But I don't think they can turn anyone else into smoke. And carrying out an unconscious body or a corpse would be more involved." He rolled his shoulders to loosen himself up. "I have a few ideas on how to counter that."
"We don't know how many there are," Owl warned.
"I know. But two of our own is in there, somewhere, and I don't plan on leaving without them or any information the enemy can give us. But Mouse is correct. We need to be ready to get flag this location and clear it out, so if we don't check back before sundown, you're to report back to HQ and inform them of the situation. Any questions?"
Both Owl and Mouse signed in the negative.
"Good. Move out." A moment later, and the cluster of branches they had been hiding in was vacated.
[NRE]
Tortoise continued to crawl after Yukimi, only the faintest of lights to give him an idea where to put his hands and knees as they crept along.
"Where are we going?" he asked, quietly.
"We had a secret base in here, remember?" she answered, "Here. It's just up ahead."
The path opened up into a bright chamber that was more brightly lit by sunlight, large enough to fit them both comfortably. Judging by the angle, it had to be a bit past midday.
"There. You can hear it clearly, right?" she asked, settling down on the floor. "That crevice connects to the outside. We used to come here often and listen to that sound. We'd talk about the outside world, and what we'd like to do if we could just go. Sometimes, we'd just come here to listen to the sounds outside and guess what those sounds were. We'd imagine what was going on, and what I would be like to do those things for ourselves."
Yukimi shrank into herself, pulling her knees to her chest, pressing
"Tenzō really is dead, isn't he?" she choked out. "I'm just a stupid girl clinging to impossible things."
Obito was better at comforting people, but Obito wasn't here. Without a better option on hand, Tortoise rested a hand against her shoulder.
"Even if the future isn't what we hoped for, that doesn't mean holding out for it was meaningless. And what we find can be just as fulfilling."
"Would you like to?" "Go out there and experience the sounds?"
"What?"
"Just because Tenzō might be dead doesn't mean his dreams should die, too." Tortoise held out his hand. "If you can fulfill his dreams, you can keep his memory alive."
Yukimi hesitated, before reaching out to take his hand. She quickly wiped her tears away and plastered on a smile and a brave face before turning to smoke and swirling around Tortoise. Rather suffocating like Gotta, it was like breathing in the aroma of flowers.
Letting his passenger settle in for the ride, Tortoise opened his eyes and jumped through the small opening and out into the open air.
[NRE]
Gotta rounded on his clansmen. "What do you mean Yukimi is no longer in the village?"
"The outsider let her use him as a vessel to escape. There's no way we can go after her."
Yukimi…are you betraying Orochimaru-sama? Whatever recriminations he had for her would have to wait. "I told you not to let her out of your sight."
Another of their kinsmen ran in, panting heavily.
"What is it?"
"Bad news. Someone has come down into our village."
"Is it Orochimaru-sama?"
"We haven't been able to confirm that, but I think it unlikely. There's two of them, for starters."
Gotta clenched his fists. "Get the prisoner ready," he ordered. "Either Orochimaru-sama is here, and they need to be presented. Or they're more infiltrators and we need to get rid of them, even if we must use the bodies of their comrades as shields."
[NRE]
Owl and Dog slowly advanced into the tree's interior, further than they had gotten before. Inside, the hollow opened up, darkened. The two stopped, searching for signs of their teammates and their captors.
A man stood almost at the very center of the chamber, wearing a handkerchief to push his hair back. Cat was tied up and slumped against his leg, a kunai hanging loosely in his free hand.
Without missing a beat, both darted forward, Owl going high and Dog sweeping low. In the moment of panic, the man turned to smoke, shuriken passing through where his head had been, dropping his intended hostage. Dog grabbed Cat and pulled her away when she suddenly rolled herself from his shoulders, a rasp of metal announcing her blade being drawn.
Not Cat, Dog signed between steps.
Genjutsu? Owl signed back.
Possession. And Dog drew his own tantō.
Controlling her like a puppet, the enemy began hacking and slashing away at them, wholly lacking in and form or clean motions Cat used with kenjutsu. This made it laughably easy for both ANBU to dance out of the way of the clumsy swings. Unfortunately, the enemy possessing her soon realized this, backing away, Cat's blade rested against her throat.
"Don't come any closer," he demanded, using Cat's voice. "Throw down your weapons."
Owl stepped forward, hands raised. "Listen," he said, "I trust this is all just a misunderstanding. We mean you and yours no harm. Our investigation just happened to bring us into your home, but seeing as our quarry isn't here, we've come to negotiate. Let our friends go, and we can go our way without further incident."
"I know what you are. You're shinobi from Konoha. Orochimaru-sama is your avowed enemy, and as such, you will find no friends in us. Surrender now, and you might be spared, should Orochimaru-sama will it. Otherwise, you will all die here."
"Gotta…" headband warned.
"Careful now," Owl warned, voice almost singing, "This could get nasty."
Dog and Owl both stepped forward, prompting the man to press the blade hard enough to draw blood.
"Stay where you are! Or I will oxidize this woman from inside. Her chakra, blood, organs, nerves, and muscles… all of it cooked from within at my will."
"Kill her, and your life is forfeit. As is the rest of your clan. We can still work this out, if only you would cooperate."
"Never!" one shouted.
"You will not lay a hand on Orochimaru-sama!"
Smoke surged from the sides of the cave towards both men, clustering around them and their faces to gain entry. Instead of paralyzing both ANBU, the clones dispelled, leaving a pair of exploding tags falling to the ground, detonating before they hit the ground.
Most of the ambushing party dispersed, leaving only Cat and the one possessing her.
"What?!" he gasped, struggling to reassert his hold on her when Owl dropped in front of them, finishing the last hand seal, eyes flashing red, whispering,
"Genjutsu: Total Paralysis."
The possessed Cat froze on the spot, unable to move and a sitting duck when Dog punched her in the gut, forcing her to expel the smoke before swing her around to Owl, both racing towards the exit with all haste, pursuers hot on their heels. A few more exploding tags and a couple of smoke bombs soon began forcing them to back off, leaving only one doggedly trying to catch up to them.
Daylight opened out ahead, and the three ANBU leapt from the tree's entrance, free and clear, before rounded to face off against the remaining pursuit. Dog pulsed his chakra at a low wavelength three times, and then set Cat down, splashing water on her face.
When she didn't wake, he tapped Owl's shoulder. "Stay with Cat."
A mustached man stood at opening, glaring at them before taking in the surroundings, looking worried. Worry was displaced by fury once more. A hesitating step, then two, and then he leapt out into the open towards them, pulling a crude cleaver out and slashing down.
Dog lobbed a kunai, checking the first strike long enough to get his tantō out. Sun glinted off of steel as both blades locked before Dog broke through and slashed at the man. Dissipating to smoke, he withdrew to land on a nearby branch, firmly in the sunlight.
Another possibility eliminated. Glancing aside, Dog saw that Owl had come to the same conclusion.
"So…Gotta, was it?" Dog ventured to guess. "Why do you serve Orochimaru?"
"Serve?" Gotta scoffed. "No. We work with him to achieve our greater goals. It is a mutually beneficial partnership."
I doubt that, Dog thought, then aloud, said, "That doesn't explain your profound loyalty to him. Do you have any idea what he's done?"
Gotta began stalking along the branch, sneering at the ANBU as he proceeded to rant.
"Generations of my clan have suffered, struggling to survive in the dark. Dying long before their time. You wouldn't understand. You, who have never had to sleep beneath threadbare blankets, subsist off of meager scraps, depend on a single lifeline for survival that has let us down more times than you can count. You've never known what it is like to pray to gods for help you didn't believe in for help you knew would never come." A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, causing a minute flinch that was hastily covered up. "And then Orochimaru came. He gave us something back we had thought lost and forgotten. Hope. Hope, and a chance to live as people. For that, there is nothing my clan and I wouldn't do to fulfill his goals."
Dog clapped slowly against the back of his hand, keeping his blade at the ready. "Nice speech. But you're out of hostages and probably out of options. What do you think will happen when you have nothing left to offer?"
Without letting Gotta respond, Owl flickered out of the way with Cat, leaving the man to contend with Dog. Sharingan spinning, the ANBU crouched, and then launched forward to intercept. The man turned to smoke, flitting through the blade in order to take control of Dog, only to flinch and flounder back with a low-powered Chidori shocking the man back into human form.
Smoke or not, they're still sensitive to pain, Dog observed. Now let's test this next hypothesis.
Dragging the fight into the open, Dog engaged Gotta, easily keeping ahead of the man's blows with the Sharingan as he began to form hand signs between alternating blows. Gotta's own inexperience in live combat also hampered him, his taijutsu seemed dependent on his kekkei genkai, activating it when it looked as though Dog would land a strike.
Utterly predictable, and Dog had no issues exploiting this flaw, leaving an opening that Gotta jumped at for the chance to overwhelm his foe.
"Fuuton: Gale Palm!"
The man turned to smoke and began to move out of the way before the jutsu hit, and scattering him down the way when he failed. He reformed, partially, face twisted in agony as he tried reassemble. A process he was clearly failing to accomplish, leaving bits of himself scattered through the clearing.
Dog stood over his fallen foe, braced in the event he gained a second wind. He looked at the grisly scene that had transpired and then back. "My team can offer you medical aid if you cooperate."
"Save your pity," Gotta growled. The man looked at his distorted body and slumped back. "Besides. I'm already dying like this. No point in delaying the inevitable."
"So be it. If you have any last words, I'll hear them."
Gotta gritted his teeth through the pain, gasping for every breath. "We're of no use. Orochimaru-sama. We have to offer up Yukimi's blood. She's the only one who can help Orochimaru-sama."
The man turned to smoke once again, dispersing before Dog's eyes. He bowed his head for a moment, and then moved to rejoin the rest of his team where Mouse was already treating Cat for her injuries. Consciousness soon returned to her, and she sat up abruptly, searching her surroundings before searching for her mask.
"Cat? Where's Tortoise?"
Cat refocused on him. "Tortoise got a crazy idea," she managed to get out before descending into another coughing fit. "One of the kids here mistook him for a family member, and she led him away. I don't know if any hostiles were keeping adequate watch, but she managed to slip away before any of them could stop her."
"When was this?"
"Just before you walked in."
"Understood." Dog bit his thumb and willed Pakkun to his side. His teammates raised eyebrows at using a signature technique in the field while under ANBU protocols, though were not given any time to interject before their captain began issuing orders to the Dog summon. "We need to find Tortoise. Do you still have his scent?"
"Got yourself into bit of trouble?" Pakkun asked. "You're not usually this direct."
"Orochimaru might be in the mission area, if he isn't already. We need to make sure a high-value individual isn't without protection before he realizes where she is."
The dog nodded gravely. "Just get me to a trail head, and I can take it from there."
[NRE]
Orochimaru limped along, gingerly stepping over branches and brush that he would have normally gone over by leaping through the trees. Keeping a weathered eye on his surroundings as well as the discrete landmarks set up to guide him forward to his next destination, he checked his wounds once again. The bleeding had been mostly stemmed, and he had survived the encounter, but it had been a close call. Far closer than it should have been.
"This is certainly an unpleasant experience," he hissed, gritting his teeth. "No matter. Just a little bit further…"
A/N: This arc has been rather enjoyable to adapt, even if I had to spend some time overhauling it because of the changed circumstances leading up to it (and outright dismissing some superfluous elements during and afterwards), but I think it worked out better than I originally planned for.
Not sure what else to say at the moment, so I'll spare you any further musings until next chapter.
Changes from Canon:
- Danzō is uninvolved with this particular mission (or is he?)
- Gotta is Yukimi and Tenzō's father, instead of a nebulous relation somewhere in the clan.
Coming Up…
- A day at the carnival.
- Face-off against Orochimaru.
- The mission's conclusion.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Speculations on what's to come? Even if it's to call out some passage I messed up in a caffeine-fueled haze, let me know with a PM or review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.